Computers have undergone dramatic changes over the last fifteen years. In the early days of the personal computer (PC), command instructions were primarily entered through a plurality of keystrokes using archaic code words. For one to benefit from the use of a computer, one would have to be relatively fluent with computer user language. Thus, computer usage was limited to a relatively small percentage of people who had the necessary computer use training.
Today, however, computers are utilized and usable by almost anybody with relative ease. Such increase in the ease of use has come from the use of graphical user interface (GUI) systems or programs. The GUI systems or programs allow a user to invoke computer functions visually, without the need for entering archaic code words. For example, a user can drag a cursor over a particular application, click a mouse button, and open the application. Once the application is open, additional GUI icons, widgets, or props, indicate to the user what functions can be evoked, plus information as to how to use the application.
Not only have the past fifteen years made computer operation easier, it has also made computer programming easier. For example, Visual Basics, manufactured by Microsoft, allows a programmer to create his or her own user windows which include a user-defined menu. Thus, when a programmer is creating a particular computer program application, that program can have an associated window such that the end user can benefit from the GUI system.
While such technological advances have made computer programming and computer use easier, there still is room for further advancements. For example, there is no convenient way to couple user-created windows or objects with menu functions of other applications or main applications. Such is the case for programmer-created user windows that are nested or used within another window application program.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus that allows convenient coupling of user-created windows with menu functions of other applications.